Bardonecchia, Italy

The ultimate guide to Bardonecchia ski holidays.

Once a market town and now a trendy snowsports destination, Bardo has lovely forest trails, loads of wide, unpopulated slopes for learners and intermediates and snowboard terrain that featured in the 2006 Olympics. Eating out doesn’t have the eye-watering pricetag of other resorts and with superb transport links and a sunny location, this is one of Italy’s top resorts.

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

At a glance: • Superb snowparks • Own rail station • Bordering France

Great for: • Beginners & intermediates • Cheap skiing • Families

Once a market town and now a trendy snowsports destination, Bardo has lovely forest trails, loads of wide, unpopulated slopes for learners and intermediates and snowboard terrain that featured in the 2006 Olympics. Eating out doesn’t have the eye-watering pricetag of other resorts and with superb transport links and a sunny location, this is one of Italy’s top resorts.

Accom'AccommodationBardonecchia Holiday Accommodation

Bardonecchia Ski Resort

You’ll find Bardonecchia in a sunny, forest surrounded location at the end of the Susa Valley in North West Piedmont. A proper mountain town rather than a purpose built resort, it’s steeped in history with cobbled streets, ancient chapels and historic hamlets. This bustling old market town was one of Italy’s first ski resorts back at the very beginning of the 20th century and continues to be one of the country’s best resorts.

Covered by an efficient bus service, the town boarders France and is on the Italian side of the Frejus tunnel. Turin airport is only an hour’s drive away and the drive here from Milan airport takes around 2 hours. Unlike most ski resorts, Bardo also has its own train station – the international Rome to Paris train regularly stops here and there are also direct trains from Milan.

With excellent transport links and a fashionable atmosphere, it’s a firm favourite with Italians as their weekend ski resort of choice and since hosting various boarding events in the 2006 Olympics, has become a popular destination for snowboarders from all over the world.

6 smaller hamlets include the quaint, historical Rochemolles, Melezet, a pretty village about 3km from the centre, Les Arnauds which has lift access to the Clomion and Melezet ski areas, Gleise which is perched at 1700m between Bardonecchia and Mont Jafferau and Millaures, a cluster of tiny villages on the slopes of Mont Jafferau itself.

The ski area is accessible from Campo Smith which is the ski hub of the resort a bit outside the town – lifts from here can take you directly to heights of 2400m. Lots of the accommodation is based here and you can also choose to stay in the town itself if you prefer to be near the shops and ameneties.

Web Cam

Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Bardonecchia

Colomion-Les Arnauds, Mezelet and Jafferau are the 3 ski areas covered by the lift pass and you can usually ski one day in Montgenevre or the Milky way too. Colomion-Les Arnauds is the largest ski area, with great connections to Melezet's wide, sloping runs. The Jafferau slopes are a short bus ride away and have some amazing off piste.

With beginners’ slopes starting from the edge of the main centre, learners can get to grips with new sensations with the help of gentle magic carpets. 45% of the runs are classified blue, giving plenty of varied terrain to practise on.

Half of the runs are red hot for intermediates: fight the burn as you scale down top heights from Jafferau mountain at 2807m. At P.ta della Mulattiera, an induction into unmarked terrain deemed suitable for intermediates lets you try out some freeriding.

The amazing Snowpark on Mezelet is served by a modern chairlift and divided into 5 separate parks. Find kickers, rails and boxes for skiers and boarders of all levels in the Eagle Park and perform tricks high at 1,850m in the Lynx park. Grizzly park is dedicated to jibs and the Wood park is made of eco-friendly wooden features. Novices are not forgotten here, as the Baby Park offers an induction into the art of freestyle. Look out for the boarder-cross and 130m long half-pipe, at 18m wide and 6m high it featured in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Bardonecchia Apres Ski

The Lalimentari Multicafe is a swanky abode open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, putting local specialities of polenta, game and mountain produced cheeses on your table. American style restaurant, Garage Bar, is a great place for children and you can enjoy a divine coffee break at Bar Miretti, as you watch the world go by with a crumbly, Italian pastry in one hand, and a blend of fragrant coffee beans in the other. Chalet style restaurants like Lo Chalet provide the perfect to warm up with good food and wine and La Grangia in Pian del Sole is lovingly decorated with homely charm and traditional Italian meats, potato dishes and locally grown vegetables, for the toasty Alpine evening you've been dreaming of. The Pizzeria I Cusiné is lovely – with pizzas, meats, pastas and fondues letting all ages try the tastes of Italy and La Ruota is another hotspot for a cracking pizza.

With a number of bar-cum-restaurants like La Crota-Enosfizi, those after livelier après ski won’t have to look hard to find it. As the evening gets on, ‘disco pubs’ like Camarillo Cafè let you continue the party into the early hours. Cafe Medail pours the beer and plays the tunes if you’re looking for a disco-pub venue where it's possible to both catch up with friends and migrate onto the dance floor later on.

If you’ve come to Italy for its couture, check out shops like Dal Caliè Creazioni for Italian shoes and leather goods. Alternatively, kick back to basics on Campo Smith’s snow tubing run, floodlit of an evening for a taste of the mountains under the stars.

Best time to go

Best time to ski Bardonecchia

When is the best time to ski Bardonecchia?

Bardo’s season usually runs from December to April. Thanks to its position in a sunny valley, it’s known for sunny skiing. 38km of the pistes are aided by snow canons, so that runs below the 2000m mark receive a little extra sprinkling of fresh, white goodness if needed.

Skiing tends to be pretty good even towards the end of the season thanks to North facing slopes. Whatever time you visit, you’ll find the best snow above 2,000m – try the runs from the top of the Ban and Jafferau lifts and Vallon Cros and Cresta Seba, where you can ski slopes descending from lofty heights of 2807m and 2400m.

A generally peaceful resort throughout the year (but generally busier over weekends when the locals catch the train in), high season for Bardo is from early February to early March.

Peak Dates

Rock around the Alpine trees and skate under the stars in Bardonecchia at Christmas! Don your Christmas jumpers and enjoy good food, good wine and good company in the mountains – most hotels put on a festive feast for the day itself!
Browse Bardonecchia Christmas ski holidays ‣

Bardonecchia is a lovely resort, a real gem! There are hardly ever any people there (some mornings I was on my own all the way down the mountain!) except at the weekend when people come in from Turin to stay in their apartments, but even then it’s not packed and you don’t have to queue for lifts or anything l...
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Susan Allen, London

5 out of 5

For beginners, there are several nursery slopes to help build your confidence- these are easily located in the areas Melezet and Colomion-Les Arnauds. Look out for Campo Smith in Colomion which is especially good for newbies. Both areas are well interlinked with ski lifts and slopes making it easy to discover t...
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Sacha, Tower Hill

4 out of 5

The resort was v sweet and friendly. Bardonecchia not very large ski area. But good bush wacking off piste for the kids. Would be epic in fresh snow. And not heavily skied out by others.
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Charlie Hoult, Newcastle Upon Tyne

4 out of 5

Bardonecchia is a friendly, inexpensive resort with a bit of character and a good mix of skiing and scenery. If you haven't been there yourself, it's a little old town which has expanded into a ski resort. So it's unpretentious, quirky rather than picturesque. And generally inexpensive (except for cans of fizzy...
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Pete Schofield, Cheltenham

4 out of 5

The good thing about these apartments is that they’re very near the slopes (you could stand on the balcony and throw a snowball at the nursery slope if you wanted to!) – our kids can ski so were up and out with no hassle.
They’re you’re usual modern 1970’s monstrosities but they look a lot worse in the p...
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Charles Hoult, Little Walwick

4 out of 5

It’s quite a small mountain but I took my girlfriend here to teach her to snowboard and for that it was perfect. In the sense of how the 3 Valleys works with different spots, if one place was busy you could always go further round and you can plan to avoid the ski schools. As much as it was perfect for what we...
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James Hounsome, Lymington

4 out of 5

Great conditions at the end of February, lots of fresh snow thanks to 3 or 4 dumps while we were there. It’s a small resort but there was plenty for us to do and it was very picturesque on the mountain. Having a choice of two mountains was good and overall the area was great for our family. For children, begin...
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Mr. Robinson,

4 out of 5

The skiing was great and the slopes were empty... we were the first up on Monday morning, got our lift passes and were up on the mountain with no one else around, we expected it to be a lot busier.
The ski area has a good amount of slopes for every different level and we had a lot of snow, it didn’t stop for...
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Ashley Holloway, Sheffield

3 out of 5

Bardonecchia didn’t have as much skiing as we would have liked but it was good overall – I’d say the skiing here is mainly intermediate. We were a group of 5 mates and it was a shame that there wasn’t much nightlife, there was only one bar that we went to every night and even this was pretty quiet every eve...
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Joshua Owens, Danbury

3 out of 5

Bardonecchia is a nice little resort, it doesn’t link up to loads of places like Canazei (where we stayed recently) but there’s certainly enough for a week - you have lots of different kinds of slopes and things to do.
We usually ski in March and have always been very lucky with lots of good snow as well as...
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Mr Elton, Colchester

4 out of 5

It’s not a massive resort but has some really nice slopes and with families / learning to ski it’s ideal.
Everything is cheap as chips compared to France! There’s a really good pizza place in the municipal swimming pool where you end up paying only six euros for a pizza and something like ten euros for Pro...
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Charles Hoult, Little Walwick

4 out of 5

I much preferred my recent holiday to the Three Valleys over Bardoneccia. We got bored here very quickly, even the beginner we brought with us got bored after 3 days. I didn’t like having to get the bus to the slopes, and you had to get a bus up to the higher level as well, it wasn’t linked up to the rest of ...
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Duncan, Bolton

2 out of 5

Bardonecchia is a legendary resort which boasts holding the first ever Italian Skiing Championships, as well as bestowing to its status as being the site where two World Records were achieved in ski jumping. The slopes have maintained their reputation by continuing to assist athletes as a training ground as wel...
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SG, Oxfordshire

4 out of 5

Town / Resort Bardonecchia resort is situated high in the northern corner of the scenic region of Sal di Susa. A traditional Italian town, it is placed near the Italian entrance of the Frejus Tunnel and an hour from Turin. The resort is easily reached by car, but can also be reached by train as Bardonecchia has...
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Families in Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia is super for families. The ski area itself is made up of 95% blue and red runs, with a large quantity of wide, gentle slopes so you’ll all have the room you need to find your feet, improve and enjoy the rush. Woodland trails have been crafted amongst the trees for young explorers to track down mountain creatures; all ages will love the snow tubing runs, and the baby snow park allows little ones the chance to practise their own adorable freestyle moves.

English speaking ski and snowboard schools take beginners to nursery slopes complete with magic carpets and with children’s courses, competitions are organised at the end of the week where children can proudly show mummy and daddy the medals they’ve won on the snowcrosses and speed tests. For any tots too little for ski school, childcare is offered by ski schools and some hotels, preparing weeks jam-packed with indoor and outdoor fun – ask our ski specialists about this if it’s an essential for your holiday.

Pizza and pasta dishes served in most restaurants (we like La Ruota and Pizzeria I Cusiné) are sure to keep the whole clan happy – even fussy eaters would struggle not to enjoy the food here! The more adventurous will find a range of mountain classics and dishes with modern twists and grownups can accompany their meal with a well deserved glass of fine Italian vino.

Opt for accommodation in the Campo Smith area if you want easy access to the ski lifts and ski school meeting point – in some properties these are less than a minute’s walk away. Staying in the centre of the resort means you’ll be closer to the shops and amenities and the slopes are a short bus journey away.

GroupsGroup Holidays Bardonecchia

Bardonecchia is an all-round winner with groups of beginner and intermediate skiers and boarders. If you’re all of a similar ability, join one of the English-speaking schools group courses, sharing laughs over failed snowploughs and wipeouts of the day. If you’re all of different abilities you can split up on the piste and meet together for lunch. We love mountain huts like Chesal 1805 where you can grab a group table for a plate of inside-warming pasta and a glass of mulled wine. Whatever your ski or snowboard level, try out one of the resort’s five snow parks, for various levels of half-pipe, boxes and rails.

Non-skiing friends will love exploring the wintery woodland trails and warming up in one of the town’s health and wellness centres. And great news for shopaholics: there’s a shelf load of shoe and leather shops in the town!

There are loads of places to join together in the evenings for a meal or round of drinks. Grab a pizza at WAIKIKI if you’re in Mezelet or La Ruota if you’re in the resort centre or cosy up in Lo Chalet with some tasty mountain favourites. Disco Pubs such as Cafè Medail are open late into the evening if you fancy a cheeky tipple and some dancing.

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"A real gem - lovely resort!"

Susan Allen, London

5/ out of 5

Bardonecchia is a lovely resort, a real gem! There are hardly ever any people there (some mornings I was on my own all the way down the mountain!) except at the weekend when people come in from Turin to stay in their apartments, but even then it’s not packed and you don’t have to queue for lifts or anything like that. I’m an intermediate and there was more than enough for me, you have so many lifts you can just jump on and there are lots of different runs to keep you busy all day. There’s another mountain a bus ride away which is a bit more rugged and you’re only a bus ride away from Sauze d’Oulx (you can also get there on the train if you want). You really do improve in that week because you have the place to yourself and don’t have to worry about people coming down behind you. I used to get up early and it was my tracks everyone would follow!
I normally go in March when you're usually lucky if you get a good week of snow, but both times I’ve been here it has snowed a lot (last time had the most snow in 25 years!).
Everyone is friendly and speaks good English, all the people where you get skis and boots from are so lovely and everything is very laid back, you can wear whatever you want and just relax. There are lots of good places to eat including some beautiful places on the Mountain, one place is like something out of James Bond! I wouldn’t say the nightlife was thumping, people tend to just meet up and chill out together. There’s a bar on the slopes called Chicos that everyone goes to, which is good fun with live music.
It’s nothing like Tyrol but it’s a nice little village and you have a very, very pretty backdrop of the mountains. There’s a big tourist information place and within 5 minutes you’re on the slopes. Turin is ¾ of an hour away on the train, and is a lovely place to walk around and explore.

"Lovely relaxed Italian skiing"

Sacha, Tower Hill

4/ out of 5

For beginners, there are several nursery slopes to help build your confidence- these are easily located in the areas Melezet and Colomion-Les Arnauds. Look out for Campo Smith in Colomion which is especially good for newbies. Both areas are well interlinked with ski lifts and slopes making it easy to discover the resort. Advancing in level, there are 16 blue runs and 18 red runs. For beginners and intermediates there are a variety of runs through different terrains. You can carve your way through beautiful wooded areas in Campo Smith, or take a lift to the highest point at 2400m and cruise above the tree line. The jewel of the resort for those feeling more confident is the third area of the resort, Jafferau, best for intermediates and advanced with its narrower runs. Up here the 360 degree views are incredible from the height of 2800m. Gaze over the Ecrins and the Meije Glacier which you don’t have to experience just in the day because on Saturdays, the lift stays open until 19:00 where you can also watch the sunset. With all runs leading back to base level, it is possible to ski the impressive 1450m journey back to the beginning. Also, for those seeking an exhilarating ride that has been tried and competed on by world class skiers, have a go on Fisi 50. A World Cup race run, it is situation on the Colomion and is the longer red which takes you back down to Campo Smith. For the more advanced skier, Bardonecchia has six black runs and plenty of opportunities to venture off the beaten track for some off piste skiing particularly in the Melezet and Jafferau area. It is not all smooth running. Due to Bardonecchia’s north facing slopes, the resort has established an excellent and reliable snow record which has no doubt helped with its rise in popularity as a skiing holiday destination. With an array of runs totalling 140km, it is a superb world class resort with world class status.

"Resort sweet & friendly, not large ski area, epic in fresh snow"

Charlie Hoult, Newcastle Upon Tyne

4/ out of 5

The resort was v sweet and friendly. Bardonecchia not very large ski area. But good bush wacking off piste for the kids. Would be epic in fresh snow. And not heavily skied out by others.

"Friendly, inexpensive, with character, good skiing & scenery"

Pete Schofield, Cheltenham

4/ out of 5

Bardonecchia is a friendly, inexpensive resort with a bit of character and a good mix of skiing and scenery. If you haven't been there yourself, it's a little old town which has expanded into a ski resort. So it's unpretentious, quirky rather than picturesque. And generally inexpensive (except for cans of fizzy drink) with good coffee at half the price it would be in France. The resort is not very busy on weekdays. At weekends it fills with good natured crowds, but it's still possible to avoid big queues. Although the ski area is not large, I found it interesting enough for a second visit, with odd corners to explore and some great views from the higher points. The lifts are all sorts, from modern gondolas to basic buttons. From the main skiing centre at Campo Smith, a variety of tree lined runs joins nearby villages in the valley. There's also a 'snow park' for boarders with jumps, half pipe etc. On the other side of town is the Jafferau ski area. This is higher and more open, with wide runs and off piste areas at the top, and a very different "big mountain" feel. The ski areas and town are linked by frequent free shuttle buses which work well, though timetables are not to be taken literally! I hope some of this is useful. All the best to everyone at SNO, and I hope to book with you again.

"Great for families"

Charles Hoult, Little Walwick

4/ out of 5

The good thing about these apartments is that they’re very near the slopes (you could stand on the balcony and throw a snowball at the nursery slope if you wanted to!) – our kids can ski so were up and out with no hassle.
They’re you’re usual modern 1970’s monstrosities but they look a lot worse in the pictures than they actually are! Also, cheap Italian apartments always seem to be nicer than French apartments. We had 2 apartments with 4 in each and the space was fine, we were allocated two apartments opposite each other which made things much easier.
Self catering was fine – it sounds a bit odd but 100 yards away there’s a municipal swimming pool, which we didn’t swim in but they had an amazing pizza place with pizzas for 6€ and bottles of Prosecco for 12€.

"Good for learning"

James Hounsome, Lymington

4/ out of 5

It’s quite a small mountain but I took my girlfriend here to teach her to snowboard and for that it was perfect. In the sense of how the 3 Valleys works with different spots, if one place was busy you could always go further round and you can plan to avoid the ski schools. As much as it was perfect for what we needed, it’s purely the size that holds Bardonecchia back and I’d probably go somewhere bigger in the future.

"Family skiing in Bardonecchia"

Mr. Robinson

4/ out of 5

Great conditions at the end of February, lots of fresh snow thanks to 3 or 4 dumps while we were there. It’s a small resort but there was plenty for us to do and it was very picturesque on the mountain. Having a choice of two mountains was good and overall the area was great for our family. For children, beginners and intermediates it’s ideal, and experts could find a good bit to do too.

"Empty pistes, lots of snow"

Ashley Holloway, Sheffield

3/ out of 5

The skiing was great and the slopes were empty... we were the first up on Monday morning, got our lift passes and were up on the mountain with no one else around, we expected it to be a lot busier.
The ski area has a good amount of slopes for every different level and we had a lot of snow, it didn’t stop for 2 days!
The only thing that would improve Bardonecchia was if it was a bit livelier, I prefer places with better nightlife and although there were a couple of good places at the end of the slopes, that was about it.

"Good week but a little quiet"

Joshua Owens, Danbury

3/ out of 5

Bardonecchia didn’t have as much skiing as we would have liked but it was good overall – I’d say the skiing here is mainly intermediate. We were a group of 5 mates and it was a shame that there wasn’t much nightlife, there was only one bar that we went to every night and even this was pretty quiet every evening (just back from Val d’Isere which suited us much better). We went to a little spa that had a gym and stuff and also went swimming – apart from that it was mostly skiing!

"Nice little resort - lovely March sunny spring skiing"

Mr Elton, Colchester

4/ out of 5

Bardonecchia is a nice little resort, it doesn’t link up to loads of places like Canazei (where we stayed recently) but there’s certainly enough for a week - you have lots of different kinds of slopes and things to do.
We usually ski in March and have always been very lucky with lots of good snow as well as sunshine.

"Brilliant family skiing"

Charles Hoult, Little Walwick

4/ out of 5

It’s not a massive resort but has some really nice slopes and with families / learning to ski it’s ideal.
Everything is cheap as chips compared to France! There’s a really good pizza place in the municipal swimming pool where you end up paying only six euros for a pizza and something like ten euros for Prosecco – It was absolutely rammed by 7:30 because it was so popular. You wouldn’t find any this cheap in London let alone the French resorts!
The reps had a deal with the Italian ski school and the kids were lumped into classes with adults because there weren’t many other English here... my 10 year old ended up in a group with a 19 year old and 45 year old and would probably have had more fun with people his age, even if they didn’t speak English.

"Limited ski area, better for beginners"

Duncan, Bolton

2/ out of 5

I much preferred my recent holiday to the Three Valleys over Bardoneccia. We got bored here very quickly, even the beginner we brought with us got bored after 3 days. I didn’t like having to get the bus to the slopes, and you had to get a bus up to the higher level as well, it wasn’t linked up to the rest of the area.

"awsome ski holiday"

SG, Oxfordshire

4/ out of 5

Bardonecchia is a legendary resort which boasts holding the first ever Italian Skiing Championships, as well as bestowing to its status as being the site where two World Records were achieved in ski jumping. The slopes have maintained their reputation by continuing to assist athletes as a training ground as well as being used for numerous skiing and snowboarding competitions. Enjoy and marvel at what Bardonecchia has to show you; its culture, traditional atmosphere and look, breath-taking beauty and views spanning over the resort. You do not have to adjust to what Bardonecchia has to provide as a ski resort, as Bardonecchia is catered to you. There are countless slopes welcoming skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Yet skiing is not the only activity that can be enjoyed in the resort of Bardonecchia. Have fun with friends or family ice skating, snowtubing, winter biking, visiting the picturesque town and enjoy the social side and its growing vibrant presence.

"Traditional and unpretentious - full of nice people"

Mr Garay, Witney

4/ out of 5

Town / Resort Bardonecchia resort is situated high in the northern corner of the scenic region of Sal di Susa. A traditional Italian town, it is placed near the Italian entrance of the Frejus Tunnel and an hour from Turin. The resort is easily reached by car, but can also be reached by train as Bardonecchia has its very own train station. Perfectly situated, Bardonecchia Ski Resort has so much to offer. With an excellent selection of runs totalling 140km accessible from the 25 ski lifts, explore Bardonecchia’s main areas; Colomion, Les Arnauds, Melezet and Jafferau. As well as skiing, there are also classic cross country ski runs and world class facilities for snowboarding. Bardonecchia Snowpark can be found in Melezet housing a 1100m vertical drop, areas dedicated for jumping as well as the Snowpark also featuring the Olympic half pipe. If you do not fancy taking to the slopes yourself, you will find throughout the resort plenty of ski schools with 200 highly qualified, bilingual instructors ready to give you a helping hand if you are new to skiing or if you simply want to improve your technique. Bardonecchia is not just a resort to be enjoyed, but is also there to help and assist you. National and international coaches are also available in the Snowpark. The question is, is there enough time to enjoy, explore and experience everything Bardonecchia has to offer?! Apres Skiing Bardonecchia has many bars and over 70 places to eat as Sal di Susa is renowned for its fine foods and famous local Alpine dishes such as polenta and gnocci. Fancy a traditional Italian pizza? The Venezi and The Italian are the places to go to satisfy your appetite. The town is traditionally vibrant and full of culture to be enjoyed. At the weekends the area tends to liven up as locals from Turin travel to Bardonecchia creating a lively atmosphere. The area offers places to enjoy beer and music, as well as there being several nightclubs for those with extra energy. Clubs that have been recommended are Bar Medail, the Siting Bull and Camarillo.